Danesh pointed to the coastal region marked Kalinga on the ancient map, present-day Odisha. "This," he declared, "was where Emperor Ashoka fought his infamous war—a state pressed unjustly against an empire. Records speak of hundreds of thousands dead, entire cities reduced to corpses. Even the rivers were said to run red with blood. And yet, that very massacre is what secured his fame. His reign endured not because of dharma, but because fear of that war kept rebellions at bay."
His gaze hardened. "And that is why his empire collapsed after his death. With no terror to hold it together, it slowly crumbled and was toppled in the end. Tell me, does such a ruler deserve to be called 'the Great'? Is this how we want to remember a lost legacy?"
The room stirred. Several guests clapped in support, emboldened by his defiance. It seemed the verdict leaned in his favor—until a new voice cut in.
